Missing Children Publication Hub

The publications in this section contain the results of our research as well as curated research on topics and issues relevant to missing children in Europe and the world. Example of the type of research you can find are understanding the causes of the different types of missing children cases in Europe, policy on missing children, search and rescue operations and family support. The menu and submenu options below will help you find what you're looking for.

If you'd like to share relevant research with us, please send the title, a link and description of the research to info@missingchildreneurope.eu.

Child exploitation and trafficking is a global phenomenon. It is often associated with poverty and inequality and it seriously hampers the fulfilment of children's rights. As the IMPACT study notes, this child rights violation also persists in Europe, despite the body of international, regional and national legal instruments adopted across the region to prohibit the practice and assist child victims

New technology has changed how adults take advantage of children with a variety of new tools available. Victimisation has taken on new characteristics and internet, digital photography and ease of travel have all had an impact.

Still in Harm's Way: An update report on trafficked and unaccompanied children going missing from care in the UK by ECPAT UK and Missing People

Following on from their ground-breaking 2016 report Heading Back to Harm, leading charities ECPAT UK and Missing People have revisited the issue using 2017 data to assess what has changed. This report shows that trafficked and unaccompanied children are still going missing from care at an alarmingly high rate.

What YOU can do to protect children on the move by Mike Dottridge

Handbook to enable organisations to review how they prevent child trafficking and exploitation, and whether they ensure that the best interests of the child guide their activities

Running from hate to what you think is love: The relationship between running away and child sexual exploitation by Emilie Smeaton

This report focuses on different cases of sexual exploitation on children. The report has a strong background information, with true examples. It tries to identify the problem of disappearance due to abuse.

The Tragedy and Horror of Human Trafficking of Children and Youth. by Betz, C. L

The extent to which children and youth are trafficked is difficult to estimate because these victims are hidden, silenced and forced to endure continued abuse creating fear and submissiveness. The estimates of children who are trafficking victims range from 600,000 to over 2 million.

Missing : Persons and Politics by Jennifer Ann Edkins

In Missing, Jenny Edkins highlights stories from a range of circumstances that shed light on this critical tension: the aftermath of World War II, when millions in Europe were displaced; the period following the fall of the World Trade Center towers in Manhattan in 2001 and the bombings in London in 2005; searches for military personnel missing in action; the thousands of political "disappearances" in Latin America; and in more quotidian circumstances where people walk out on their families and disappear of their own volition.

Running the Risks: The links between gang involvement and young people going missing by Rachel Sturrock and Lucy Holmes

The UK Missing Persons Bureau estimates that as many as 160,000 children and young people are reported missing every year. Research from the Children’s Society over the past decade has shed some light on this issue and the recent spotlight on CSE has pushed the issue of children and young people going missing up the political agenda. However, the link between gang involvement and going missing from home is still very much unknown, with no specific research or national data collected indicating how many are affected.

Hidden in Plain Sight: A statistical analysis of violence against children by UNICEF

The report sheds light on the prevalence of different forms of violence against children, with global figures and data from 190 countries. Where relevant, data are disaggregated by age and sex, to provide insights into risk and protective factors.

Ending Violence Against Children: Six Strategies for Action by UNICEF

Provides evidence of effective programmes to address violence against children drawn from UNICEF's decades of experience, and informed by key partners.

This report focuses on interpersonal violence, which is violence that occurs between family members, intimate partners, friends, acquaintances and strangers, and includes child maltreatment, youth violence, intimate partner violence, sexual violence and elder abuse.